5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
The youngsters Chelsea, Allison, Derrick and Mike are grieving the suicide of their friend Adam, who became obsessed with an internet game called Hellworld. Their former friend Jake blames the group since they have not stopped playing the game even when Adam was unstable. When they receive an invitation to a Hellworld party in an isolated mansion, the reluctant Chelsea decides to join the group and they surprisingly find Jake in the party. He explains that he was invited by a girl he met in a chat room. They are hosted by the owner of the place, who shows them his private macabre collection. Along the night, they find that they are in a party in hell.
Starring: Doug Bradley, Lance Henriksen, Katheryn Winnick, Carl V. Dupré, Henry CavillHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
I see you all have a fondness for the macabre.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Sinking Horror franchises are no exception to that rule. When revenues begin to dwindle, fan interest
dies down, and ideas become scarce, movie studios seem willing to go to any lengths to milk a franchise name one last time, the end result be
damned
so
long as there's a slim profit to be made. In the never-ending battle to extend the service life of Horror films and franchises, studios have turned
to dumbed-down PG-13 entries, eschewed the theatrical market for straight-to-home-video releases, and done all sorts of insane things to their
beloved Horror characters, sending them out into outer space and whatnot in hopes of keeping the line moving and the cash flowing. With seven
Hellraiser films already in the can and the series probably on the brink of irrelevancy, Hollywood's best and brightest decided to make
another installment revolving around evil infiltrating the
digital world. Unlike some previous Hellraiser pictures, Pinhead at least makes more than a
courtesy appearance in Hellraiser: Hellworld, and the movie does serve up some excessive blood and guts. Still, with ideas spread thin,
acting down the drain, and a script
that's anything but refined, one can easily surmise that the movie doesn't stand much of a chance of improving on the series's best and brightest
entries.
I honestly have no idea which 'Hellraiser' movie I'm in right here.
Hellraiser: Hellworld arrives on Blu-ray with a midlevel 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. This is one dark and hazy image; depth is near zero and details are flat. The image scrapes by enjoying a boost in clarity and stability, but most viewers on smaller displays won't notice a substantial increase over standard definition presentations. Colors are mostly uninspired, with lifeless flesh tones and hit-or-miss blacks that seem to roam through the entire spectrum, either crushing out details or appearing gray and pale. Likewise, the grain structure and level of background noise fluctuate from near zero to excessive. Fortunately, the image isn't hindered by an excess of banding or blocky elements. Still, this is a lifeless, uninspired transfer that gets the job done but little more.
Fortunately, Echo Bridge has graced this Blu-ray release of Hellraiser: Hellworld with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack rather than saddling it with the studio's usual no-effort Dolby Digital 2.0 presentation. Unfortunately, this is far from being a killer soundtrack, but the results aren't unexpected considering this is a low-budget DTV movie. Music can be a touch mushy, and despite its healthy back channel supplementation, it plays with a slightly cramped sensation, too. Atmospherics are fair, particularly in the delivery of the various heavy tunes heard in the background during many of the party scenes and sequences. Directional effects are few but fare well enough. Dialogue is a strength; it's cemented in the center speaker and Pinhead's voice is appropriately boomy compared to the more balanced vocalizations heard from the remainder of the cast. The 5.1 track is a welcome addition; even if this one doesn't set the sonic world on fire, good on Echo Bridge for going the extra mile this time.
Hellraiser: Hellworld contains two extras, Ticket to Hellworld: A Behind the Scenes Look (1080p, 13:00) and an audio commentary featuring Director Rick Bota, Executive Producer Nick Phillips, Writer Joel Soisson, and Special Effects Designer Gary J. Tunnicliffe. Both features cover the film's adherence to Hellraiser mythology, the basics of the plot, the cast, the shooting locales, the challenges of the shoot, special effects work and the limitations of the budget, and more.
Hellraiser: Hellworld is a completely superfluous direct-to-video clunker that does little more than slap a franchise name on a dumbed-down Horror movie. Sure Pinhead and friends appear in the movie, but this isn't Clive Barker's Hellraiser; it's just a cash-in and a picture made to keep the series in the public consciousness. Even series completists will have a hard time accepting this as anything more. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Hellraiser: Hellworld features mediocre picture and sound quality, but unlike most past releases the studio has seen fit to include a pair of extras. Worth a rental for fans of the series who have yet to take this one in.
Hellraiser VI
2002
Hellraiser V
2000
Hellraiser IV
1996
Hellraiser IX
2011
2012
Hellraiser VII
2005
2015
Limited Edition
2009
2008
2018
2009
2015
Director's Cut
2007
2012
2012
2014
2014
Saw 3D
2010
Uncut Edition
2009
Unrated Edition
2006